Nuhou, Volume II, Number 8, 8 August 1873 — Alfalfa. [ARTICLE]

Alfalfa.

31anv pereons have doubted \vhether alfalfa would bear being closely pasturcd without eerious »«jury. While its 6uperioritj over everj otlier klnd of grass fbr m6wing 5 aB a haj crop 5 wae o6ncēded, 'it was feared the large, Bucculent roote would not bear being trampled and bitten intōbj ?tock, and if such were the eaee, it would not be valuab3e and useful to graziers as some otber v?rieties of grass. But this important question re prettj well sct. at rest in this seetion of the State. It*has been the eommon practice of thoee owning fields of Alfalfa, for eeveral years past, to turn stock into them during the winter months, horses, cattle and eheep, and keep them eaten >lown closely, without any sensible decrease or ieterioration of the hay crop the succeeding eammer being perceptible. We saw an example . of-this the past season that seemed to us eonelu--Ive of the hardy and ineradicable qualities of aifalfa. During the winter of 1872, S. Jewett s?eded 50 acres with alfalfa, and the succeeding tummer mowed it four times. Last October, sliortly after the last mowing, he turned on it sheep (16 to -the acre,) that were kept there imtil nearly February. When they wcre taken away the grouud was trampled nearly as hard as a brick and left abou t as bave of any sign of vege:ation. We took a view of the field a few days ago, and were surprised to find it covered with a vmk growth of alfelfa two feet in height and oearly xeady to cut. The severe test to whieh it aad been put had apparently done it no iiyury and in this case it must be remembered lt had not had time to get fairly rooted and had not the termcity of a more matuie of growth. Hiere ean be no doubt of its bcmg the most valthat ean be grown m Southern Cali- ; jrnia, both for mowing and grazing purposes, stock raisers ean do no better than to seed iown fields of it in the valley to supplement their ;1111 ranges in the periods of scarcity that are now iikely to oeeur every fall. It ean be mown two or :hrce times before grass becomes scarce in the ;peo ranges and then pastured a few months vithout fear of its productiveness being dimins or until the time wlien it natura!ly ceases, vhieh is said to be in twenty or twenty-fiveyears. —Kaii County Oouner, [We need to pay groat attention to the sowing , l-jwn of grasses iii these islands, and what is said of Southeyn California will apply to them. Our irst or virgin pasture is pretty well destroyed. •Che great majority of our stock is thin. Ilawailan beef was onee noted for its fatness, and now is;as mueli noted for its leanness ; All the gi-a'zing lands are run down and but >vith a little efibrt and caro they could be readily .eeuperated. īn somc parts the Bermudagrass |s reating a new and bctter pastureVbut it beeomes a *evere obstaclc tp cultivaiion. Not so, nlfalfb ? :nd varieties of Spanish c!over. Whoever seeds Jown makes a good investment. Better to -:ave one hundre<l head of fat eattle, of whieh you may be prou4 and pay you a profit, than to posseis om thousand lean kine, that are seorued ' y thc butehcr£ aud ?)riug ouly dipgraee upon your ranch.J The Por?simu?h f under command oF Capt. has arrlved from a enū^o, ' -übtfal banks a:nd Islots, and ha» had a rougli \iiW She will sthy in port porlnps > mont!u to her and men an opportunity sto Tuit.